Murphy Honored in State of the Union

President Barack Obama singled out Oak Creek Police Lt. Brian Murphy in his State of the Union address Tuesday, honoring his bravery in responding to the Aug. 5 Sikh temple shooting.

"We should follow the example of a police officer named Brian Murphy," Obama said.

"When a gunman opened fire on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, Brian was the first to arrive and he did not consider his own safety. He fought back until help arrived and ordered his fellow officers to protect the safety of the fellow Americans worshiping inside, even as he lay bleeding from 12 bullet wounds.

"And when asked how he did that, Brian said, 'That's just the way we're made.'"

Obama's remarks came at the tail end of the speech as he pushed for gun reform measures. Murphy, who traveled to Washington D.C. with his wife, looked on from the First Lady's box.

"We were sent here to look out for our fellow Americans the same way they look out for one another, every single day, usually without fanfare, all across this country. We should follow their example," Obama said.

Murphy's actions that day made headlines around the world as he was lauded for his heroism and preventing an even worse tragedy from occurring.

Murphy is still recovering from his wounds and it's unknown whether he will return to the Oak Creek Police Department. He told Patch in an interview in December that "for the betterment of the department, I couldn't help right now until fully healed and I wouldn't want to be a liability."